


let's play soccer

by fawnmon (hartbeat), Okikage



Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, First Kiss, Football | Soccer, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Roleplay Logs, Soul Bond, Soul Touching, Soulmates, crest gem AU, glow kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27574079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hartbeat/pseuds/fawnmon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okikage/pseuds/Okikage
Summary: The first spring day after their adventures in the Digital World defeating BelialVamdemon, Ken and Daisuke play a friendly match of soccer that ends up devolving into much more.(A Crest Gems AU RP)
Relationships: Ichijouji Ken/Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7
Collections: Digimon Crest Gems AU





	let's play soccer

**Author's Note:**

> _Crest Gems AU is a Digimon AU in which the Chosen Children’s crests manifest as glowing gemstones on their bodies that contain their souls. By touching them they can share their feelings, and Jogress Partners are soulmates with enhanced bonds. You can read more about the AU[here at the Ao3 collection!](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/CrestGems/profile)_
> 
> Originally this was an RP we wrote together in a private discord, and the formatting preserves that, using icons like you're reading an old school RP thread on LJ/Dreamwidth. We hope its fun and clear, we tried to figure out a good way to make this readable on AO3 since we wanted to share it and that can be tough with RP formatting, what with the POV switching.  
> hartbeat is Daisuke and Okikage is Ken!  
> Fawn (hartbeat) also drew some lovely art of some of the poses! can be found [here](https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/85581766)!  
> More content of this AU can be found [here on twitter](https://twitter.com/i/events/1274462913588277249?s=21) or in the [Crest Gems AU Pixiv tag!](https://www.pixiv.net/en/tags/%E3%83%87%E3%82%B8%E7%B4%8B%E7%AB%A0%E5%AE%9D%E7%9F%B3/artworks)

Ken holds the soccer ball under the crook of his arm, a spring in his step as he bounds up the stairs leading to Daisuke's family apartment building. It is the first properly warm spring day and he and Daisuke  _ are _ going to play a 1v1 instead of random sporadic shootouts. The warmth means Ken is without his usual scarf for protection, but it was just Daisuke. It will be fine. 

He is very purposefully  _ not _ thinking about their last game against each other. Not thinking about how his memories contain Daisuke's face, a row of baby Digimon, one single sliding tackle and nothing else. He just wants to play soccer again. To do one normal thing. The lady his parents brought him to said it would be good for him, something about "reclaiming his identity". He climbs the steps to the Motomiya apartment and rings the buzzer.

daisuke is definitely not already waiting by the door for ken to arrive. he definitely had not been doing so for the last 20 minutes, gotten bored, decided to bounce his own soccer ball around indoors, and accidentally knocked over all the slippers in the genkan. and he  _ definitely _ didn’t just scramble up off the floor where he had been rearranging said slippers to answer the door mere seconds after ken buzzes it. 

he greets ken with a slightly guilty smile that stretches into pure elation at the sight of his best friend, looking just about as ready as he is to play. his crest, visible through a misshapen hole he cut in the front of his loose t-shirt, reacts in kind, lighting up his face in a golden glow. 

“ken!” he exclaims excitedly as if he didn’t know exactly who he was going to find when he opened the door. he then cocks an eyebrow at him, surreptitiously kicking the last slipper behind him with his foot as he challenges, “ready for the match of your life?”

Ken’s eyes are instantly drawn to the glow from Daisuke’s chest, the brightness almost overwhelming just like every time before. He wrenches his gaze away and back to Daisuke’s face, his stomach turning over as he stares into his chocolate eyes, sparkling over. 

“I’m always ready,” he quips as he grabs onto the strap of his overnight bag, shifting from foot to foot slowly as he deliberates where to place it, dropping it on top of the shoe case smoothly before gesturing for Daisuke to join him outside. “Oh! You should bring your ball too, it would be nice to have a spare.”

daisuke catches the flicker down to his crest, feels his light grow warmer under ken’s gaze. moments like these are exactly why he leaves it uncovered; he wants to be able to experience the full depth of his emotions, to be able to share them with ken every time they meet. also, it just looks cool. 

excitement now brimming over, he backs up so ken can set his bag down, holding his ball behind his back and balancing it on the tips of his fingers. he fumbles and nearly almost drops it again but manages to snag it and swing it around into his arms just when ken asks him to bring it along, grinning widely. “sure!” 

holding it to his chest now, he does a little hop over the threshold and pushes up on his toes to nudge ken’s shoulder with his own. “let’s go!”

The sharp jab of Daisuke's shoulder against his own sends tingles down his arm, pleasant but confusing. Daisuke is always like that, touching and leaning into Ken's space. Ken feels the absence of it when Daisuke pulls away, gulping loudly. He follows beside him, self-consciously fiddles with his own ball, moving it to the other arm just for something to do with his hands. "Think the park will be crowded?"

bouncing his soccer ball playfully up and down in his hands as he walks, daisuke shrugs. 

“i hope not. i want us to have the pitch all to ourselves.” 

he grins conspiratorially over at ken, then his gaze trails unbidden down to his uncovered neck, to the hint of a crest peeking out from between ken’s collar and hair. he looks away again quickly, pressing his lips together and asking nonchalantly, “so, uh, no scarf today?”

Ken’s hands instantly fly to his collar, shifting it slightly, not sure whether he is trying to hide his crest or show more off. He can feel the heat rising in his cheeks. “It’s getting pretty warm now.” 

Soon he won’t be able to wear his favorite bulky coverings. He will have to choose between comfort and  _ comfort _ , the safety of hiding it versus the weird aches it gets when things are too close. 

Maybe that is why Daisuke can’t seem to keep a shirt intact, he gets the same phantom feelings as Ken when things are pressed too close. Not that Ken has mentioned that again since their first sleepover. 

“...It would be nice to be alone. Plus I wouldn’t want to hold people who were waiting up...“ he trails off, not sure how long they plan to play today. He hopes for long enough everything but them and the field melts away.

daisuke sees ken fumble to adjust his collar around his crest and blinks down at the ground awkwardly. he probably shouldn’t have drawn attention to it, but he’s just glad to see ken letting the thing  _ breathe _ for once. he can’t imagine keeping his covered up all the time, but he knows ken is infinitely more guarded with his feelings, which just makes it all the more special that he’s had the opportunity to experience them at all. 

before he has a chance to respond on the matter, ken changes the subject back to the park and daisuke perks up immediately. skipping up ahead, he walks backwards facing ken and continues to toss the ball up and down in his hands. 

“well, the pitch belongs to whoever gets there first.” 

he grins as he catches and holds the ball to his chest, illuminated by the joyful light of his crest.

“so let’s get there first!” 

with that, he spins around and takes off running toward the park.

Ken never knows why he gets surprised by Daisuke's antics still, as he follows behind, trying to catch up. His heart speeds up as he falls into the rhythm, watching Daisuke’s legs as he pounds the pavement, trying not to stare too bad. His long legs help him overtake daisuke eventually, though, and he throws a smirk out at daisuke with the words, "race me?" before putting on a burst of speed to try and get ahead.

daisuke’s eyes widen as ken easily overtakes him even with his head start, as if it weren’t obvious that he would. he’s just so much  _ taller  _ than him, long and lithe and unbelievably graceful as he breezes past, and daisuke can’t help but fall behind in awe before registering the challenge. 

“a-ah, wait up, ichijouji!” 

he shoves his soccer ball under one arm so he can better use the other to propel himself forward after his friend, gritting his teeth as he forces himself to pick up speed so he doesn’t lose before they’ve even begun.

Daisuke’s words have Ken slowing down from his top breakneck speed, throwing his head back to check how far away Daisuke is. He is a lot closer than Ken expected, and his chest constricts at the open display of bouncy energy coming off Daisuke’s chest. His own crest warms just a degree as it brightens before Ken tamps it back down, hoping Daisuke is too busy running to notice. 

He realizes as they enter the park he’s not exactly sure which way to go to the soccer field, they had only been to this one a few times before now. He pulls up a few landmarks from his memory and follows them down the winding, tree-lined path that hopefully leads to the soccer field, half his attention behind him.

daisuke chases ken all the way to the soccer field, which, likely by the power of daisuke’s own optimistic will, is miraculously empty. ken gets there first of course, but daisuke isn’t far behind him, and launches himself into the grass the moment he makes it onto the pitch. rolling out on his back, he spreads his arms and legs out like a starfish as he catches his breath, crest glowing brightly on his heaving chest. 

“okay,” he pants as he looks up at ken, “you won this round. but it’ll take more than just long legs to beat me at soccer!” 

he gives his soccer ball, lying on the ground nearby, a feeble kick towards the goal behind ken to “prove” his point.

Ken threads his fingers together, trying to deal with Daisuke's full display. His lips quirk up a bit at his antics, and easily blocks the slow shot from Daisuke's rolling around on the ground. He places the ball next to his own, turns again to Daisuke. He can't take it, seeing Daisuke's crest moving up and down with each gasping breath, seeing it all. He turns away and replies, "I know."

between giggles, daisuke manages to gulp down enough air to drag himself up to a sitting position in the grass. his shirt is all displaced from rolling around, and he tugs at the hem until the lopsided circle he’d cut in it frames his crest the way it’s meant to. it’s still glowing, like it usually is, like it  _ always _ is when ken’s around. he looks up to find ken turned away from him, and says, tone suddenly serious: 

“hey, ken.”

That tone of voice sends shivers down Ken's spine, low and rumbling and Ken immediately turns around to give Daisuke his full attention, his own crest lighting up in response. He clenches his hands together with more force, making the already pale skin even whiter, staring deep into Daisuke's eyes, his own dilating slightly. "What is it?"

daisuke’s heart skips at the little flash of pink he catches in the swish of ken’s hair as he turns around. getting to his feet and brushing himself off, he steps closer to ken and ducks down to grab one of the soccer balls before straightening up and meeting his enraptured gaze with a meaningful stare of his own beneath a furrow of determined brows. 

“don’t go easy on me,” he tells him solemnly, his light flickering like golden flames in his eyes. “i want you to give this everything you’ve got.” 

he tosses the ball toward ken’s chest to catch as a slanted grin cuts across his face, shattering the serious atmosphere. 

“i sure will.”

Ken takes in Daisuke’s solemn air with trepidation, gulping as his mouth goes dry. Daisuke is rarely this serious, which makes the atmosphere even more charged as he makes his declaration. 

Ken nods, frowning slightly. “Of course. I won’t let you down.” 

He catches the ball easily and sets it down in the middle of the field with care, taking the few steps back to his starting position. “Best three out of five? Or do you want to go higher?”

grin broadening, daisuke nods back and moves to stand across from ken on the other side of the ball. 

“sounds good for our first one-on-one,” he replies, then quirks his brows up at him. “maybe next time we can go higher.” 

he brushes off some of the grass still stuck to his clothes and shakes his limbs out, getting loosened up, prepared. last time they’d played for real, ken had rushed right past him and scored the moment the game started. granted, he had crazy evil powers back then, but still. daisuke’s not taking any chances. he’s — 

“ready?”

As inappropriate as it is, staring at the completely open crest helps Ken ground himself, stay in the present. Daisuke didn't have that last time they were like this. He'll have to be careful. Make sure he doesn't accidentally brush it, invade daisuke's privacy. He jolts his gaze up at Daisuke’s single word. 

"Yes. Three." Ken feels as the world whips away, leaving just him and daisuke and the field they are on. 

"Two." His muscles tense in anticipation. 

"One." Ken tries to get a read on which way Daisuke will break first. 

"Go!" And he shot off towards the ball.

daisuke feels ken’s gaze on his crest and heat crackles in his core, warming his blood even more than his run had. it courses through his veins along with the countdown, and at the shout of “go” he springs into action fueled by it. he knows if ken gets the ball immediately, it’ll be over before it begins, so he aims to kick it away from him as fast as possible, hoping his smaller size will work to his advantage as he cuts low.

Ken recoils back from the inevitable collision with Daisuke's low blur, looks dumbly at the ball rolling away from both of them in a random direction before turning and chasing after it. He's so distracted. He shakes his head while running to try and get back into focus, gain control of the ball as he starts a battle with Daisuke's feet. He is not thinking about how this feels like it should be easier.

daisuke lets out a bewildered whoop of  _ “hah!” _ when his foot connects with the ball and sends it careening away from them both. he’s surprised himself, and apparently ken too, because he takes a second to recover before he goes running for it. daisuke chases after him, not as swift but full of energy, doing his best to keep the ball from falling completely under ken’s control with a volley of short kicks. 

“didn’t see that coming, huh?” he teases as they tussle, keeping his eyes on the ball between them.

Flashes of a sliding tackle shoot through his mind, and Ken focuses on their feet, popping the ball out of daisuke's range. 

"You always manage to surprise me." He smirks as he starts to pull out and dribble toward the goal.

pride floods daisuke’s chest and drowns out any disappointment he might have felt when ken manages to steal the ball away. even if he loses to him today, he’ll be happy just to have gotten a few of those surprises in here and there, to know he kept ken on his toes and was a worthy opponent. with a grin still plastered to his face and his crest glowing bright, he barrels across the field with all the speed his shorter legs can muster and rounds on ken, skipping backwards in front of him as he attempts to slow his advance on the goal.

"Have you been practicing without me?" Ken prods, on the lookout for an opening as he backs daisuke up across the field. They're getting closer and closer to his goal as he nudges the ball, waiting for Daisuke to pounce so he can respond and get in a shot.

“i kick around with v-mon sometimes,” daisuke grits out, sticking his tongue out in concentration as he intently follows the path of the ball ken is nudging along. despite the sweat beading on his brow, he hasn’t run out of energy, still matching ken step for step. but the goal is approaching rapidly and he knows he can’t just block him forever. his gaze flashes up to meet ken’s. 

“but he’s not nearly as much of a challenge as  _ you.” _

with that, he makes his move, angling sideways and thrusting one foot toward the ball between ken’s in the hopes of knocking it out of his grasp.

Ken can't stop looking at Daisuke’s chest, the glow distracting him, and tears his eyes up to meet Daisuke's, sharp and bright and Ken could get lost in them too. He tears his gaze away and back to Daisuke’s feet just in time. 

Ken smirks as daisuke telegraphs his play, hips twisting, and he ducks around his foot. He brushes against bare skin, almost hitting Daisuke’s gem and recoils, stumbling for a second before taking the shot. 

The ball connects with net, almost hitting the pole. Ken catches his breath as he turns towards Daisuke. "You're quite a challenge yourself....Daisuke."

“not a big enough one, apparently,” daisuke laments as he crouches with his hands on his knees after missing his shot due to ken’s agile dodge, but a smile remains on his lips nonetheless. he’d taken ken off guard and put up a good enough fight to get him panting. that counts for something. and, far from discouraging him, that slight brush of ken’s fingers against his chest just left him craving more. he straightens up once he’s caught his own breath, walking over to scoop the ball out of the net and turn back to ken with a determined grin, still glowing brilliantly. 

“but we’re just getting started!”

Yes, they'd just gotten started and already Ken made a big mistake. He had almost - Ken tries to shake off the feeling, get back into the game at hand. He can't afford to be distracted. Daisuke could easily make up a one point deficit. He watches as Daisuke places the ball back at center field, fidgets with the hem of his shirt. That was just the warm up. Now the real game begins.

"Ready for round two?"

daisuke places the ball down and shakes himself out again, stopping to adjust his shirt when the action displaces the hole around his crest. he grins up at ken when he’s done, eyes sparkling. “ready as ever.” he figures he should do the countdown this time, and goes ahead and gives a “three... two... one... go!” before promptly making the same move he had last time, aiming to kick the ball away from ken, just now in the opposite direction.

Ken gives Daisuke’s crest one more glance as he watches Daisuke set his shirt back just right. He mentally slaps himself a few times, narrowing in on the ball as Daisuke begins to count down. When he tries the same move twice, Ken responds much more handily, blocking the shot and starting a battle for dominance right then and there. 

"You can't pull the same stunt on me twice," he laughs brightly as he gets way too close for comfort to his chest, their sides smashed together.

“dang it! i figured you’d think only an idiot would do the same thing twice. but you know what they call me,” daisuke laughs in good humor, doing his best to gain control of the ball from his prescient friend. without his cheap shot this time, he’ll need to be more aggressive if he ever wants to get the ball out of ken’s grasp. he pushes into ken’s side as he slides in kick after kick, chest just narrowly avoiding his elbow, hoping to throw him off balance.

Ken bristles at Daisuke’s insult to himself. “You aren’t an idiot.” 

He remains slightly stony even as he listens to Daisuke’s cacophonous laugh, focused on the footwork. 

“Your ball handling is amazing,” Ken says even as he makes a move to get control, and then his elbow slides just inches from Daisuke’s open chest and he recoils back, ceding the fight completely.

“you think so?” daisuke somehow perks up at ken’s compliment even though he wasn’t downcast to begin with. then he feels ken’s elbow move dangerously close to his crest, feels the static between his pale skin and the gem’s bright, warm surface, and dodges for the ball just as ken backs away from it. finally he has the chance to dribble it himself, and takes off triumphantly toward ken’s goal. 

“see if you can handle this!” he calls back. eager to show off for ken, he starts to step over the ball, hoping to impress him with his fancy footwork.

Ken breaks into hideous laughter at Daisuke’s ridiculous antics, trying to put behind the near accident. 

“You don’t need to get fancy with me, plus -“ He slides in between Daisuke’s movements, trying to knock him off balance without having to resort to getting close to his chest again. “ - it makes you vulnerable.”

daisuke yelps as ken slips his foot in between his, immediately falling off balance as he loses the rhythm of his steps. he teeters backwards and swings his arms comically as he tries to right himself, which results in him overcorrecting right back into ken and slamming their bodies together.

Ken recoils as Daisuke’s chest, complete with gem, slams into his side, brushing his arm and giving him a head full of Daisuke. Flashes of his exuberance and energy. He slips and falls to the ground, curling in around his forearm that touched where it shouldn’t have as he watches Daisuke take the now open shot.

daisuke inhales sharply when ken’s arm accidentally connects with his crest, eyes widening as his emotions flare and flood from his body. but rather than incapacitating him, the release of feelings results in a burst of energy that he channels into his next kick, sending the soccer ball sailing into the net. 

he jumps in the air with both fists up and lets out a joyous whoop, crest shining, heart pounding, feeling alive and open. but when he turns around to see ken has fallen to the ground and is clutching the arm that touched him, his grin twists into a grimace. 

“ken? are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Ken curls further into himself, away from Daisuke’s concerned look and questions, trying to wrestle control of the situation back. He can’t stop thinking about the crack of emotions, how easily they bled off Daisuke and into him, the sheer power overwhelming his senses. Would the same happen to Daisuke, if he let - No. He can’t think about that. There are a million reasons that’s a bad idea. He has to pull himself back together, be normal. 

“One to one, then?” He gives a wavering smile as he sits up in the grass.

daisuke nods slowly as ken deflects, still frowning. was it because of the touch? it had to be. he couldn’t have hit him hard enough to hurt him. ken may look delicate, but daisuke knows he’s tough. well, if ken won’t be honest with him, he’ll just have to coax it out of him. walking over to grab the ball, he says, 

“come to think of it, you’ve seemed a little distracted.” 

he collects the ball to his chest and walks back over to ken, then stops a few feet away from him and transfers the ball beneath his arm to reveal his crest, which he gestures to with a quirk of his brow and the  _ slightest _ of smirks. 

“is it ‘cuz of this?”

Ken turns beet red and covers his mouth, still sitting on the ground. Why does Daisuke have to be like this, so open and earnest and just cutting right to the heart of it. But he's been maneuvered into a whole conversation now. 

"Why do you just have it out?" Every touch to Ken's crest feels like fire, horrible, awful, burning his skin away and how can Daisuke just let it happen? His neck starts itching terribly and Ken wishes Daisuke could make him feel better, hold him and distract him and make him feel whole.

daisuke frowns again, concern and a bit of guilt furrowing his brow. he steps closer to ken and plops down on the grass in front of him, staring down at the soccer ball in his lap and chewing his lip as he considers the question. why does he always have his crest out? just because it’s uncomfortable to cover it? well, he  _ has _ found shirts to feel constricting ever since he got it. is it because he’s  _ proud _ of it, of what it represents and what it makes him a part of? of course, that’s definitely a big part of it. maybe it’s because he likes the attention, likes feeling special? sure, he’ll admit that’s part of it too. but maybe it’s simply because... 

“because... it’s  _ me,” _ he finally answers with a shrug. his earnest gaze lifts to meet ken’s. “i don’t want to hide myself from you.”

Ken can feel his heart speeding up at Daisuke's proclamation. His crest reacts as well, and he stamps down the desire to immediately cover it up. He doesn't want to hide from Daisuke, either. 

"Oh, I - oh," he responds dumbly.

daisuke spies the pink glow lighting up the underside of ken’s curtain of hair and his own crest brightens in response, spurring him to look away awkwardly. nervous now, he sticks his tongue in the inside of his cheek, rubs a finger under his nose. 

“besides, i... like when you touch me. it, uh, feels good.” 

he twists the ball in his lap, once, twice, face flushed from more than the exercise. 

“so i don’t mind it. if it happens,” he finishes in a mumble.

"Really?" Ken squeaks a little on the end. He can hardly believe Daisuke likes being touched. Ken's experience so far has been mostly painful, though not with Daisuke. Maybe it is always different with Daisuke. It seems too good to be true. He picks himself up, brushing off stray grass from his legs.

"...Okay. You're sure it doesn't feel....weird?"

“yep!” daisuke springs right up like nothing was awkward just moments before, his usual toothy grin back on his face and his glowing chest puffed out over the soccer ball in his hands. 

“it’s just you,” he assures him. “just you and me, like always.”

Ken tucks some stray hairs from his bangs behind his ear as he ducks his head, smiling at the grass because smiling at Daisuke was too much. 

“Yeah, just you and me.” He feels the air crackle with something like anticipation at those words, and looks out the corner of his eye at Daisuke’s smile, dazzling in the sunlight. He straightens up all the way and marches towards center field, turning to stare Daisuke down. 

“So let’s do it. I’ll show you what I’m really made of.”

even if ken isn’t looking at him, daisuke still feels his heart leap at the sight of that sweet, shy smile that seems to be reserved only for his company. he watches intently as ken gets into position, his words — his  _ promise _ to give it his all like daisuke had asked him to — sending a thrill up his spine. 

“that’s more like it,” daisuke replies with a spirited smirk, walking over and dropping the ball at center field before ken. he steps back, rolling his shoulders in anticipation of their next play, and cocks his head. 

“your count?”

Ken concentrates on the ball in between them, psyching up for his next play. It has to be perfect. He has to show Daisuke that he is fine, even though he definitely isn't. But if Daisuke doesn't care it feels weird to worry about it. 

"Three. Two. One. Go!" He rushes through the count, body already three steps ahead of his brain as he grabs control of the ball, the wind rushing through his hair as he cuts across Daisuke's left.

daisuke hardly has a chance to lunge for the ball before ken’s bolting past him with it already in tow. breathless laughter escapes him as he scrambles after his friend, heart soaring. this is the ken he wanted to see. he wanted ken to prove to himself that he’s still a confident, skilled player even without the assistance of the dark seed now dormant within him, just like daisuke knows he is. and prove it he already has, because daisuke can hardly catch up to him now that he’s taken control of the ball so swiftly. he’s going to have to get creative if he’s ever gonna get it back. giving up the chase, he runs instead toward ken’s targeted goal, planning to defend it directly. 

“come and get me!”

Ken watches intently each movement of Daisuke behind him, changes course along with his play toward the goalposts. Adrenaline runs through his veins, making everything buzz slightly, he listens to Daisuke’s laughter and it only adds to the feeling as he smirks at Daisuke between the poles. 

"See if you can handle this!" He shoots the ball into the air.

it’s ken’s turn to show off, and daisuke gapes in awe as the ball sails toward him, propelled by a perfect kick. he lunges for it and manages to stop it with his hands, giving it a hard smack away from the net before crashing on his side in the grass and knocking the air out of his lungs in the form of more carefree laughter. 

“gotcha!”

Ken nearly trips over his feet in surprise. He hadn't expected Daisuke to make that save, and feels mean and bad about thinking something like that. Daisuke has clearly been practicing so hard and Ken swells with pride in him. 

"Nice save. Want to start from midfield again?" He says while already running to retrieve the ball.

daisuke sees ken falter from the ground and grins from ear to ear. he’s surprised him again and he couldn’t feel more accomplished. he rolls over and springs triumphantly to his feet, jogging after ken. 

“nah, let’s keep going! don’t slow down!”

Ken makes a rush to the ball, giving it a kick back towards the goal as he keeps the play going. He scans the horizon for Daisuke, ready for some sort of close-quarters physical tussle he's fond of.

“oh no you don’t!” 

daisuke runs up and kicks the ball in the other direction, away from the goal he just defended. it rolls back toward ken, but daisuke is right on its tail, not about to let him get another easy shot. a fight for control is imminent, and now that they’ve established that daisuke is fine with being touched, he doesn’t hesitate to bump right into ken as he begins the battle between their feet.

Ken dodges Daisuke's excitable feet, trying to get one step ahead of him. He feels Daisuke bump up against him, and steels himself for more as he blocks with his arms as well, getting into the heat of the play.

"Can't keep this up forever." 

He takes a swipe at Daisuke's encroaching toes, blocking them from taking possession, looking for an opening. He's all too familiar with how Daisuke likes to play these kind of skirmishes from them kicking the ball around a bit over winter, patiently waiting for the right time to strike himself.

“what are you talking about? i could do this all day,” daisuke gloats, pushing his shoulder playfully into ken’s once more and using his own knowledge of his friend’s balancing technique to slip between his long legs and steal the ball. he begins to step over it again, arms held out on either side of him and crest aglow, throwing an idiotic grin at ken. “see, barely breaking a sweat.”

"I'll have to change that!" Ken easily steps into Daisuke's not yet mastered fancy movements, knocking the ball out of his reach and making a break for the goal again, sending a power shot straight towards the net. When it waps against the back, Ken breaks into giggles, the sides of his mouth curling up. 

"Told you. Vulnerable."

“wait—“ 

daisuke’s grin falters as ken sweeps in to steal the ball right back from under one of his swinging legs, causing daisuke to fall backwards onto his butt on the grass just as the ball crashes into the net. ken turns around, swaying dark locks framing his triumphant smile, and daisuke immediately forgets all about losing the play — and everything else for that matter. the melodic sound of his laughter makes his crest feel like it’s melting, light leaking out of him in a warm, rushing stream, and he just sits where he is, looking up at ken, expression a goofy daze and a blush spreading across his cheeks. 

“yeah. you got me.”

Ken gulps as his eyes are drawn to the light show, visible even in the bright afternoon sun, the power of Daisuke's soul stealing his breath better than he could ever steal the ball. His hands tremble, desperate to slide over the angles and cuts on Daisuke's gem, to let him in and open up - He shakes his head and jogs over to retrieve the ball, since Daisuke clearly isn't going for it. 

"That's 2-to-1, better keep your guard up. I just need one more goal now."

daisuke’s gaze never leaves ken as, after a prolonged moment where daisuke swears he is getting distracted by his crest again, he turns around and runs over to the goal. daisuke catches a glimpse of his crest as he leaves, its pink glow shining through the hair at the back of his neck, and feels a stab of desire in his gut. the last thing he wants to do right now is keep his guard up. he’d much rather crash through the walls between them, flood ken with his light and drink in his, feel his bubbling laughter in his own chest. his crest only glows harder, challenging the sun above as he makes no move to get up from the grass, just watching ken jog back over with the ball.

When Ken makes it back over, Daisuke is still sitting on the grass, and he cocks an eyebrow, giving him a worried look. 

"You good?" His eyes slide down, taking in the vast glow, and his breath catches as he fumbles with the ball, trying to turn partially dropping it into something that looks like he meant it. He tucks the ball under one arm and juts his arm out, waiting for Daisuke to take his hand with a warm smile while he tries to tuck away all the feelings, his crest pulsing, begging to be set free and laid bare, itching, itching for something.

daisuke watches ken approach with that dreamy look still etched on his face, and nearly goes cross eyed when his hand suddenly extends before his face. he shakes his head to snap out of his daze, meeting ken’s eyes for a second before grabbing his outstretched hand. 

“oh, yeah, i’m, uh...” 

he uses the leverage to get to his feet, but pulls himself up way closer to ken than he needs to, bringing them almost chest-to-chest. instead of letting go of ken’s hand, he grips it tighter and traps it between them, barely an inch separating it from his exposed crest’s sparkling surface. he meets his gaze again, brown eyes now near-permanently flecked with gold crinkling at the corners. 

“great.”

Ken can't move his hand, trapped between their sweaty chests, growing clammy and warm with Daisuke's fingers squeezing his own, so very close. He could nudge forward just a bit - figure out what Daisuke is thinking by doing this.

He wrenches his eyes away from their too-close bodies, no longer normal outside the game, and finds Daisuke's eyes that sparkle with his light. His smile melts Ken's insides, and any words he wanted to say die in his throat, instead croaking out a series of nonsensical stutters. He needs to move. He can't, sinking into the soccer field, wrenches out of Daisuke's loose grip and makes a hasty retreat to the middle. "Let's go!"

for a moment daisuke wonders if he’ll really do it, close the gap between their bodies and let his fingers plunge into his soul. he wishes he would, and he tries to will that desire across the space that separates them, eyes locked on ken’s uncertain face. but even as much as he wants to keep them together, to press them flush and through each other, when he feels ken start to pull away, he lets him go, still following him with his eyes as he runs. 

disappointed but not discouraged, he sucks a long breath into his lungs and lets the lingering adrenaline of their former closeness pump through him before chasing after ken, ready to keep playing. he meets him in the center, his usual enthusiasm back in full force as he teases, 

“2 to 1, huh? time for me to make my comeback.”

Ken readies himself for another play, a sudden pique of inspiration hitting as Daisuke counts down, and runs to kick the ball as hard as possible just like Daisuke did the first time. See how Daisuke handles his own erratic playstyle.

while daisuke is busy plotting how he’ll get the ball away from ken all through his countdown, ken does the job for him, sending the ball rocketing across the field away from them both in an (admittedly, improved) imitation of daisuke’s earlier strategy. daisuke’s jaw drops but he wastes no time in rushing after it, incredulous laughter erupting from his open mouth. “you stole my move!”

“I just borrowed it!” Ken laughs along with Daisuke as he runs after him, the look on his face worth it for the less-than-ideal ploy. He shines as he gets absorbed in another play with Daisuke, letting himself go. He even nudges Daisuke with his arm as he runs past him, sticking his tongue out a little bit even as he blushes at how silly it all is.

ken catches up to him quickly, laughing just as much as he is, fully enjoying himself now. he’s a sight to see, cheeks pink as his crest and hair flying in the wind as he passes daisuke with a nudge and a teasing peek of tongue, and the carefree display takes daisuke’s breath away. it means the world to him to see ken letting go and getting comfortable around him, even if he’s not ready to go as far as sharing his soul. with another peal of elated laughter, daisuke tears after him, boasting, 

“well, it must have been a pretty sweet move then, if it was good enough for you!” 

he winks at him when he catches up to him and the runaway ball, aiming a kick at it to keep it rolling further so they can continue their race across the field a little longer.

Ken can’t stop laughing, caught up in the infectious joy radiating off Daisuke even if he can’t physically feel it through a forbidden touch. As their chase continues, the ball rolling away from both of them equally, he shouts, “It’s great! But you gotta switch things up, keep light on your feet!” 

And he does a quick turn over the rolling ball, popping it into the air and hopefully over Daisuke’s head if he hit the right trajectory.

daisuke watches ken scoop up and bounce the ball into the air, skipping backwards to follow it. light on his feet, huh? 

“i’ll keep that in —  _ mind!” _ he shouts back as he springs up and headbutts the ball back toward ken with a  _ thunk. _

Ken takes the full blow of the soccer ball straight to the chest, knocking the wind out of him, but at least he now has nominal possession. "Catch me if you can!" He bolts to try and escape from Daisuke boxing him in, get some distance between them.

“whoops,” daisuke giggles when the ball thuds against ken’s narrow ribcage, glad, again, that his willowy friend is tougher than he looks. he jumps back and forth from foot to foot, waiting to see where ken will run next, and dashes after him when he makes his escape, determined to stay on his tail. he pours all his energy into his chase, picking up speed as he sprints across the field and lets out a battle cry as he launches himself at ken and crashes his body into his as hard as the ball.

Ken stumbles over the ball as he feels Daisuke crash into him, the warmth emanating from him all along his back. The world slows down as the ground closes in, and he tucks his arms close even as he watches the ball bounce away from the pile of him and Daisuke, straddling his waist in a way that makes him feel light-headed as he relaxes into the grass and weight on top of him, his crest flashing up at daisuke, reaching out. Wordlessly begging.

another, bigger  _ “whoops” _ streaks through daisuke’s brain as he misjudges the force of his pounce and gravity pulls them both down to the grass, one on top of the other. it takes him a moment to reorient himself, dazed and enjoying the pressure of his crest pushed flat against ken’s spine through the fabric of his shirt, of his heartbeat pounding into him from behind. it’s a brilliant light penetrating his eyelids that finally makes him crack them open, only to find himself staring directly at ken’s crest on the back of his neck. 

he doesn’t think he’s ever seen it shine so bright before. 

startled, he pushes himself up on his palms, but he can’t drag his gaze away from ken’s exposed crest, pulsing with the same urgent desire as his own. they’re so close that if he just bent his elbows again, lowered himself gently back down upon him, their souls could finally meet right there on the soccer field. the thought makes him positively  _ explode _ with light, fireworks launching up from his belly and out of his chest, and his knees clench tighter around ken’s waist before he suddenly swings his leg off him and rolls face-down onto the grass beside him, for once actually trying to  _ hide _ his crest, and with it, his overflowing feelings for his best friend. 

he exhales a strangled noise somewhere between a laugh and a gasp upon hitting the ground. “—sorry!”

Ken manages to strangle out a garbled, "it's fine," in between frantic thoughts trying to make sense of what just happened. He wants, so bad, and this time was sure it would happen, Daisuke would bridge that gap between them, and Daisuke shifting off of him feels less like a weight being lifted and more like losing something important. 

He squints at the brightness coming out of Daisuke, surrounding him in a halo before he hides it away, and that feels Wrong. Daisuke never hides his crest, not even when he should, and Ken grasps to try and make it right. 

"Ready to get back in?" He sits up, shirt sliding up to hide his crest, and pulls the collar back down to keep it as revealed as he can, not nearly as much as Daisuke but its just him. Daisuke is allowed to see.

daisuke hears ken shift beside him and clenches his eyes shut, willing himself to calm down and stifle the incriminating glow in his chest. once the rush has been extinguished with a series of stabilizing breaths, he pushes himself back up again. he sits back on his heels in the grass and plucks at the hem of his shirt, watching out of the corner of his eye as ken adjusts his collar, making his continued glow more visible, much to daisuke’s confusion. for as much as they are naturally in tune as destined partners, he cannot for the life of him figure out if ken wants to share his soul or not. his response to touching daisuke’s earlier had told him no, but the bright light still burned into his retinas had been flashing an unmistakable yes. 

he gulps, unsure. 

“yeah... uh, totally.”

Ken watches Daisuke’s glow slowly fade back to a more manageable level, dimming as well as he shakes the weird feeling of being on the ground with Daisuke above him off completely.

“Then let’s go!” He stands and runs towards the ball, expecting Daisuke to be right behind. Hoping he bounces back. He needs him to, needs Daisuke’s determination and attitude flooding inside him. Needs to touch his soul.

daisuke is definitely not actually ready, but he can’t ignore ken’s call. he drags himself to his feet and stumbles after him, eyes once again locked on his visible crest, still wanting and wondering. he follows him all the way to the ball but fails to sweep it up in time, distracted by the events that just occured. shaking his head to try and clear it, he chases after ken again, hoping he can still salvage this play.

Ken immediately notices how Off Daisuke is in his game, slows down just a fraction. Hopefully not enough for Daisuke to notice. He pushes closer to Daisuke, until he’s back in his bubble, arms reaching out to try and spur Daisuke into another close-quarters tussle, his crest glittering with excitement and adrenaline. “That all you got? Come and get the ball from me.”

daisuke’s breath hitches as ken moves back into his space and the funny feeling from before surges up inside him again, little leftover sparks shooting from his crest through the space between them. ken taunts him like usual, and daisuke does his best to respond normally, lips unable to resist curling into a smile in his presence. 

pushing shoulder to shoulder with him again, he dips in to try and steal the ball, quipping, “you’ve seen nothing yet.” and he hasn’t — no, he’s barely scratched the surface of him today and there’s so much more brimming underneath, waiting to be unleashed with a single touch, if only he were brave enough to do it.

“Then show me.” Ken’s voice pitches low as he jostles against Daisuke another time, still inexorably heading toward the goal. He falters for just a second as his eyes move from the ball to Daisuke’s chest, sees it glow and spark with everything Daisuke Is, and his hand moves on its own, slamming his entire palm against Daisuke and just stopping instead of finishing the move to try and push him away.

daisuke pushes back, not as aggressive as before but still wanting, more than anything, to rise to ken’s challenge and show him what he’s made of. spurred on by said challenge, his eyes lock on the ball and he gives it a well-aimed kick toward the goal, just as ken moves to push him away and runs his palm straight into his soul. 

the ball rolls all the way into the goal, forgotten completely by the two boys who had been chasing it, who have now stumbled to an abrupt halt in the middle of the field. 

if ken really wanted to know what daisuke’s made of, he’s gotten his wish now. with his hand flat against his crest, every ounce of daisuke’s passion, dedication, and absolute  _ adoration _ for ken floods into him. daisuke stands stock-still aside from his heaving breath, staring down at his own brilliant light shining red between the slender bones of ken’s fingers. he doesn’t know if ken intended for this to happen, if he  _ wants _ it — but he doesn’t pull away, determined to let him know that  _ he _ does, pressing his permission against his touch with every heartbeat. 

_ take me, feel me, understand me, _ his crest says, all these words amounting to a single phrase spelled out by his emotions. 

_ i love you. _

Ken immediately regrets his stupid maneuver, unable to move as he is overwhelmed by daisuke's crashing feelings. He is torn asunder by the enormity of them, but can't seem to pull his hand away, Daisuke’s feelings stitching him together as much as they tear him apart until he can't tell the difference between them. 

_ I love you. _

That simple phrase cuts him in half, and Ken snatches his hand back, breathing deep and ragged like he'd just run a marathon. This was a mistake. But he can't seem to regret it, all he wants to do is put his hand back, have Daisuke cup his neck and feel him too, his crest practically vibrating in anticipation. He curls in over his hand, still clenched in front of his chest and trying to sort through all he saw. 

"...You won," he says as he stares off into space and notices where the ball landed.

ken’s hand pulling away feels like a much greater slap than when he’d initially slammed into him, leaving daisuke gasping like he’s had the wind knocked out of him. he takes a staggering step closer, his body instinctively following ken’s hand, desperate for the touch to resume, but it doesn’t. ken just stands there, curled up like he’s been wounded by the onslaught of daisuke’s feelings, battered and bruised by his storm. his voice sounds far away, but when he makes out the words, daisuke can’t bring himself to care about their meaning. the ball, the game, none of that matters right now. not after what’s just happened. 

standing with his hands curled into trembling fists at his sides, daisuke utters: 

_ “ken.” _

Ken's legs tighten, ready to bolt, but the way Daisuke’s voice goes low, soft yet urgent, meant only for him, forces his head up, wide shimmering eyes finding Daisuke's. He gulps, feeling every movement in his throat. 

"Daisuke, I - " he starts, not sure how to finish. "I want -" His hand starts to unfurl, reaching back towards Daisuke’s crest by crawling inches, unable to look away from his face.

daisuke’s fists uncurl and he reaches out to take ken’s approaching hand in one of his own, clasping gently around uncertain fingers still warm with  _ his  _ heat. he doesn’t bring him any closer or further, silently pleading with him to make up his mind before making a move. in that same, soft, searching voice, he asks, “what do you want?”

Ken finally breaks free from Daisuke's piercing eyes, trying to bore into his soul, and down to their clasped hands. If only there was an easy answer, and Ken could just say what he wants. Nothing makes sense in his head, and it feels insane being in Daisuke's, and everything is just a mess. 

"How can I want such contradictory things? How can you -" _ love me _ he chokes on the secret he felt from Daisuke, needs to keep it close inside, a flame eating him up. 

"I want you to touch me. And I never want to be touched."

daisuke’s eyes stay locked on ken’s downturned face as he speaks, glistening with emotion at his confession. upon hearing, out loud, that ken actually does want him to touch him, he can’t prevent his crest from bursting with joyful light despite the caveat that follows. just knowing that he wants to is enough to make his heart soar, and the blush already scattered over his face deepens as he quietly admits, 

“i want to touch you, too.” 

his gaze flickers down to his overenthusiastic crest and he adds in an embarrassed mumble,

“...but you probably already know that.” 

he then presses a little closer to ken, gently intertwining their fingers in the diminishing space between them, illuminated by his light. 

“i wish it could be as easy for you... as it is for me.”

Ken chuckles lightly at Daisuke's completely true assumption. He wonder how much Daisuke knows he saw, how very open he is. It's Daisuke, so probably yes. It really is easy for him, to just say what he wants, let his emotions play right on the surface and show them off at every turn. Ken admires that so much about him, ready to try and let him in more. 

"I'm sorry....I'm so hesitant. But I'd be ready to...try." 

He squeezes Daisuke's hand gently holding his, admiring the glow between them, anxious but ready to try and dive in again.

“don’t apologize,” daisuke insists, gentle but firm. he squeezes ken’s hand back, then loosens his grip enough for ken to take it or leave it, guide him wherever he wants to go, whether it’s to the crest on the back of his neck (a little thrill runs up daisuke’s spine at the thought) or back to his own, glowing in anticipation in the center of his chest. 

“we can take it slow.”

Slow. Slow was good. Ken shakes even as he moves daisukes hand in his up, closing his eyes and scrunching his face up in fear and anticipation, leading him to his neck. 

"Be gentle." He can still see daisukes glow through his eyelids, so powerful, grabs at the tattered ends of his cut up shirt to try and ground himself.

_ “oh,” _ daisuke breathes as his hand is lifted and the world begins to spin around him. as often as he’s dreamed of doing this, in his waking hours as well as in sleep, he wasn’t prepared for it to happen so suddenly, so soon. they were just supposed to be playing soccer today, and now, ken wants him to touch his soul. he shuffles closer to him in the grass, leaning into the tug on his shirt as he reaches up over ken’s shoulder, his hand trembling as much as ken’s around it. his fingers extend, threading through the silky hair at the back of ken’s neck, feeling the faint warmth of his crest glowing underneath. his own crest responds to the proximity, light pulsing, throbbing with his rapid heartbeat. ken said to go slow, to be gentle, so when daisuke’s hand finally meets the gem’s surface, it’s with just a hesitant brush of fingers, allowing ken to get used to the touch before he delves any deeper.

Ken sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth when Daisuke's fingers touch, so light he can barely feel them at all. The terror lying just under the surface builds and builds, the light bouncing into his tightly shut eyes morphing into a faint yellow blinking in from his left, it's Daisuke it's Daisuke - The faintest pleasure draws up from out of Ken's terror, the pads of Daisuke's fingers warm against his crest, and he tries to hold onto that good feeling. 

He didn't even realize he had been leaning forward until his forehead hits Daisuke's hair, their faces inches apart and it's different, it's different, nothing but empty space behind him and Daisuke all around him and he needs more - Ken slides his hand over Daisuke’s crest, needing the reminder, he tumbles into Daisuke headfirst, trying to drown in him so he doesn't have to feel his own emotions, confusion and delight all jumbled up with bone-breaking fear that threatens to crush the delicate moment he and daisuke are holding together, wings desperately flapping to try and stay afloat.

a whirlwind of emotions batters daisuke’s fingers when they skim the crest of kindness, as confused and conflicted as ken said they’d be. daisuke weathers the storm bravely, determined to show ken it’s not what he thinks it is, that with  _ him _ it can be  _ different. _ he needs something else to hang on to and his other hand finds ken’s just as it presses against his own crest again and connects their feelings, allowing his own awe and dedication to drain into ken and relieve some of the pressure building in his core. 

even through that slightest touch daisuke can feel the overwhelming  _ terror _ just beneath ken’s surface and has the urgent need to hold him, to show him that he’s safe and protected in his hands. carefully he cups his palm over ken’s crest, lowering it gingerly down onto its surface until it rests in the sanctuary of his touch, encased and surrounded by him. the gentle hold presses their foreheads closer together, noses nearly brushing as daisuke gulps the air ken exhales, eyes closed, relishing this new union of their souls that’s possibly, _ impossibly _ , even more profound than jogress.

Ken can barely breathe as he feels the feedback of his own breath through Daisuke, their experiences, thoughts, feelings jumbling up and mixing into something heady he feels like he could collapse under any second. If he weren’t feeling every second of Daisuke wanting nothing more than to hold and protect him, the way his hand cupped entirely around his gem, swallowing it up would be far too much, suffocating him. 

As it is, he barely manages to breach above the water line, gripping Daisuke’s wrist reaching around his neck with so much force he’s hyper alert for discomfort from his end. His own hand pressed into Daisuke’s core feels hot, the crest beneath is burning but he can’t pull away, he needs it inside him. Needs Daisuke inside him, filling up the cracks with his disinfecting sunlight, needs to be laid down and cracked open to let the light shine in until they’re just as melded together as their Digimon become.

daisuke feels ken’s hand tighten its grip on his wrist, feels his claustrophobia as he covers his crest and slowly eases off again, keeping them connected but allowing him to come up for air if he needs it. but then he feels ken digging into his chest with all the desire to  _ swallow _ him and he envelops his crest again with a soft moan, lifting up on his toes and pulling ken in toward him as if pressing their skulls together could aid the flow of thought and feeling between them, could break down all the barriers of their bodies and make them truly become one. 

ken’s emotions are intense — daisuke’s always known that — but so are his own. whereas fear rules ken’s heart, his own bursts with love, and it’s that love he pours into him as they begin to sync up, love and wonder and joy at their togetherness.

It's all too much, Daisuke's love pouring out and into him, molten gold filling his legs and keeping him trapped in the middle of the field, his heart pounding as the need to get away fights with the desire to drown in Daisuke's purity. He pushes closer, his face breaching the miniscule gap between them, too disoriented to do anything but press his cheek to Daisuke as he feels the world shift and gravity take over. 

He pushes a little too far against Daisuke in his attempts to meld into him, lands on top of him with a thud, breaking the spell as his hands disconnect from Daisuke's chest. He vaguely feels wet on his cheeks even as he heaves, lungs pulling in air raggedly.

daisuke feels ken pushing further into him, both in his mind and physically, his body crowding his as his hand presses ever harder against his crest, and then the world shifts and for a moment he feels like maybe he’s actually pushed through, has found some way to dissolve himself into the golden light of daisuke’s soul — before he has the split-second realization that the feeling is not ken falling into him, but rather the ground rushing up to meet his back as he topples backwards onto the grass with ken on top of him. 

ken’s direct connection to daisuke’s crest breaks, but his heaving chest still creates friction against his still burning-bright crest as his breath tears in and out. daisuke’s hand still clings to his neck, dizzily searching for some idea of how ken is feeling but only getting incoherent static shocks. slowly he peels his hand off his crest and slides it around the edge of his jaw, gently caressing his cheek, pausing when he feels wetness seep into the pad of his thumb. 

“ken?” he asks hazily, his own voice hard to hear beneath the frantic pounding of their synchronized heartbeat in his ears. “are you alright?”

"No," Ken sobs into Daisuke’s neck, clinging pathetically to him, completely bereft without Daisuke there inside him. The holes in his mind feel almost wider after that, stretched open and so, so empty now. 

If he asks for what he wants, Daisuke to keep going, tear him open even more, he fears he won't be able to be put back together. He presses his lips to Daisuke’s neck, seeking out those gentle, rhythmic thumps inside him that match his own.

daisuke shudders out a sigh at ken’s response and the way he nuzzles into his neck, staring up at a sky that’s strangely dark in the wake of the the light that had just been shining behind his eyes. his stomach churns with guilt for breaking ken down into such a state, but at the same time, he has no regrets in the world. he feels closer to ken than ever before, no longer blocked the barriers that had separated them while they played earlier, that kept them dodging around each other’s edges instead of sinking, blissfully, in. he reaches up to wrap both arms around ken’s shaking shoulders, one hand the other stroking soothingly down his back while the other rests on the sensitive skin near his crest, close enough to feel its residual warmth but not touching, just holding him and letting him ride out the emotion coursing through him.

Ken's whole body wracks with each sob, Daisuke's hands grounding him as they hold him, as he strokes up and down Ken's spine. Ken slowly relaxes into it, turning into putty on top of Daisuke, feeling the hardness of his crest through his shirt as their chests close together. He chews his lips, turning his face until he can look into Daisuke's eyes. 

"I'm....really tired." His entire body aches, coming down from the high of touching Daisuke and being touched in turn, every caress of Daisuke's hands too much even though they are feather-light. His gaze slides from Daisuke's eyes to his lips, and he can't stop staring.

daisuke continues to hold ken as his sobs slowly subside, letting his weight press down upon him until their torsos are fully flush. he thinks he could lay here forever with ken on top of him, with their hearts beating against each other and his crest’s light trapped between their bodies. at least, he’s certainly not in any hurry to get up. 

but then ken lifts his head, his wet cheek brushing his, and when he feels ken’s gaze on his parted lips his mouth suddenly goes dry behind them. his brows furrow slightly and slowly he asks, still a bit dazed: 

“do you want to... go home?” 

he wonders, then, if he might have been falling asleep in his embrace, and warmth rushes through him at the thought.

"But we haven't finished our game." Ken makes no move to get up, start heading back to Daisuke's. He is perfectly content just laying here in the grass, his face inches from Daisuke's so he can feel his breaths on his lips. If he just pushed forward - His eyes flutter shut as he does.

daisuke nods slightly in acknowledgement, though the game seems very far away in time and space right now, after all that’s happened in between. he stays right where he is, scanning ken’s tear-streaked face so close to his own and getting ever closer, and for a split second he thinks ken must be dozing off for real when his eyes flutter shut but then their lips meet and daisuke’s own eyes stretch open wide. his previously-dry mouth immediately floods with saliva and he gulps in surprise, a choked noise uttered against ken’s lips as they mold to his. his brain takes a second to catch up before it finally comprehends that they’re  _ kissing, _ and his crest sparks to brilliant life between them, light escaping the cracks between their ribs as he slides the hand on ken’s neck to his cheek and presses up into the touch, bewildered but eager all the same.

Ken flushes with the foolishness of his act, screaming to pull away when he feels Daisuke sputter in shock, only to be pulled in further by Daisuke’s hand on his cheek. He feels the heat of Daisuke’s core, reaching out for him, buries his hands in Daisuke’s hair so they don’t sneak down to brush his crest again, the thought of returning there equal parts exhilarating and horrifying. His own crest pulses along with their smashed-together hearts, relishing the feeling of Daisuke’s lips against his own, strange and new and perfect.

daisuke marvels at how he could be so prepared to share souls with ken and yet so  _ un _ prepared to do something as simple as kissing. he doesn’t really know what he’s doing as he clutches at the side of ken’s jaw, but the feeling of his delicate pulse throbbing in time with his own encourages and guides him, helping him keep their movements synchronized. his other hand creeps higher up ken’s back, clutching at his collar in leiu of his crest, wondering in the back of his mind what it would be like to do both at once but knowing ken would not be able to handle it quite yet. instead he focuses on the kiss, curling his spine and crushing their lips together until he feels lightheaded from lack of air and breaks away to catch his breath, his glowing chest heaving against ken’s. 

for a moment he lies there on the grass with ken’s hands tangled in his hair, pupils blown out as he stares up at the beautiful, flushed, teary face cradled in his hand, and then he pushes back up to kiss the tears from ken’s cheeks, peppering them with peck after peck until his lips are salty and swollen and he pulls back again with a dopey, satisfied smile.

Ken's lungs burn as he forgets how to breathe, sure he's doing this badly, maybe he should move or something instead of just pressing their lips together. It's all too new, and when Daisuke's hand creeps towards his crest adrenaline starts pumping and he tenses, legs ready to spring up, but the touch doesn't come. 

When Daisuke breaks the kiss, Ken can finally breathe again, and he focuses on that while he feels Daisuke clean up his tears, take them into himself so easily, handling every dark crawling emotion that comes pouring out of him like its easy, like he's meant to do just that. 

"How are you so - " he doesn't know how end it, breathtaking? Perfect? Trying to describe Daisuke with mere words is impossible, he is a force of nature who Ken managed to connect with through serendipity. So he goes back in, opens his mouth, inviting Daisuke in completely, begging to be taken more.

daisuke blinks up at ken at his broken question, laughing when he gives up and leans back in to kiss him again. having noticed the way he’d tensed when he’d moved toward his crest, he now skips over it to bury his fingers in ken’s silky hair, grateful for the rare opportunity to actually touch it. he feels ken’s mouth open against his and darts his tongue out to lick the inner edge of his lip, sharing the salt of his tears with him, happy to taste this part of him too.

Ken moans into Daisuke as his tongue flicks out, responds with his own tentative press of tongue. His skin feels all tingly, and his body needs to move, undulate against Daisuke somehow. His hips tilt slowly, everything about this moment slowing down and Ken doesn't mind, he wants to stay like this forever. How could he keep going after this? After sharing his soul and body with Daisuke, how could anything else compare? This was the only thing that mattered at all.

daisuke parts his lips to swallow ken’s moan, letting him into his mouth as easily as he’d let him into his soul. everything they’ve done today has been an experiment in blurring the lines between their minds and bodies, and he’s content to let ken keep plunging deeper and deeper into him until there’s no distinction between them at all. he loses himself in the bliss of that thought until ken slowly rolls his pelvis down between his spread legs in a way that makes his toes curl and his crest  _ smolder, _ and in his surprise he accidentally catches ken’s parted bottom lip in his teeth, nipping it slightly as he gives his own soft whimper.

Ken reels from Daisuke  _ nibbling _ his lips, breaks apart from him to get some air. A breeze fluffs his hair, combining with the pleasant slide of Daisuke’s hand through his messed up locks.

They were still on the soccer field. They were in the middle of the public park near Daisuke’s family apartment. 

Ken’s whole face reddens even more as he rolls off of Daisuke, staring up at the bright blue sky, adjusting to the change in source of light even though it seems dark and overcast compared to the light in Daisuke’s chest. “Uh,” he says stupidly. “Uh. I. I’m sorry?”

just when he’d increased the pressure, ken suddenly removes it entirely by rolling his body off of him, leaving daisuke feeling weightless, like he’s floating in the sky above them rather than lying on the grass beside ken. the cool air is almost painful to his once-again-exposed crest, so he covers it with his hand, sealing himself back up after ken had torn him asunder. he chews his own lip in the absence of ken’s, heart fluttering when he realizes he can still taste him, salty and sweet on his tongue. 

“sorry?” daisuke repeats as he turns his head to look at him, brows scrunched up in vague confusion. “for what?”

Ken feels a heavy weight fall onto his chest when Daisuke covers his crest. He shouldn't get to look at it anyway. "I shouldn’t have.... done that." He licks his lips, still tingly from where Daisuke took a bite, turns away from him to hide his massive blush from how much he wanted Daisuke to do more, take as many bites as he wanted.

“no!” daisuke blurts out, eyes going wide. he curls onto his side to fully face ken, his body just stopping short of colliding with his again, and his hand falls away from his crest and into the space between them, revealing his own vulnerability in the form of its gently pulsing light. 

“i liked it...”

Ken's crest reacts to his fluttering heart rate, spiking at Daisuke’s declaration. "You did?" He turns to give daisuke his full attention, focusing on his bottom-lit face as he speaks so openly and honestly. He deserves that from Ken too. "But I didn't ask..."

“you didn’t have to,” daisuke reassures him, amazed that he could possibly be worrying about that after being exposed to all the love in his soul. did he not feel it? did he not know it all along? from the moment daisuke had felt ken’s heart beat alongside his, he’d known he was meant to be his partner in every sense of the word. whatever ken wanted to give him, whatever ken needed him to be, he was ready for it. he wishes he could press ken’s hand back onto his crest so he could hear these thoughts, feel the strength of his dedication to him as it wells up in golden light, but settles for curling his own hand back against it for emphasis as he points out,

“i’d already said yes.”

Ken looks down at Daisuke’s crest, imagining all his love still flowing freely into him despite the small empty space between them. He wants to respond, tell Daisuke his own truth. It should be allowed out into the day. The words stick on his tongue. 

Instead, he takes Daisuke’s hand and leads it to his neck, prepping for another brilliant assault and holding onto the one thing he really wants Daisuke to hear. _ I love you too. _

as ken reaches into the gap between them, daisuke wonders if he’s going to grant his wish and give him another chance to declare his devotion in all its intensity. he’s stupefied, then, when ken instead takes hold of his free hand and carries it back to his  _ own _ crest, anticipation coursing through him when he finds his fingers hovering once again over its surface. he closes his eyes and lets ken’s gentle soul envelop his mind, turning the backs of his eyelids white and flooding his heart with a love so pure it takes his breath away. unlike every other emotion he’d felt from ken today, this one comes through clear as day, free of complexities and contradictions, proving once and for all that he reciprocates daisuke’s feelings. any reply daisuke may have had catches in his throat, and he curls in to press their foreheads together again as he clutches tightly at both their souls, now truly knowing that they’re forever connected, whether they’re touching or not.

Laying on his side makes it easier and harder. Here, in Daisuke’s arms, it's almost the exact opposite of - then. The light streams all around from the opposite direction, and even though he's wearing fewer layers the world feels so much warmer it's hard to believe it's the same one. 

He takes in the breathtaking sight of Daisuke immersed in him while touching himself, feeling as the whorls of his fingerprints mark Ken as much as the embossing of his crest does. All his admiration, his awe at Daisuke’s raw strength and power, erupts out, the strands of his being all vibrating together their pure, unwavering love. 

"Daisuke?" He finds his voice, soft and low, trying not to break the atmosphere that's been building around them since they stopped the pretense of the Game.

daisuke hears ken’s voice saying his name, feels it vibrating low in his throat, but he still can’t find it in him to respond in words, so thoroughly submerged he is in the blissful depths of ken’s love. his hand can barely contain his own glow as it shines out through the bones of his fingers in golden-red rays, reacting joyously to each emotion ken pours into him. his face scrunches up with the effort of containing it all, and all he can do is push his flushed face against ken’s, far too incoherent to try properly kissing again, just nuzzling nose and lips and fluttering eyelashes all over his skin.

"Daisuke," Ken says, a little more insistently this time. The darkness constantly at the edge of him is starting to push in as he's pulled apart, pinned open and on display, his chest flayed as Daisuke marvels at the very heart of him. The feel of Daisuke's face on his own makes him shiver, overstimulated by the simplest brush of skin to skin. 

"Can we... go home?" The forgotten soccer ball flits through his mind.

daisuke can feel the darkness creeping into ken’s mind, clouding the edges of his internal vision, and he wants nothing more than to chase it away, to swell and shine inside of him until he’s pushed it out of him for good. but ken is calling his name, and he forces himself to withdraw his overwhelming presence before he shatters him again. reluctantly dragging his fingers away from ken’s crest with a shuddering inhale, he finally manages to blink open his eyes and finds himself staring directly into ken’s, their eyelashes almost touching. the question barely registers, and he repeats hazily, 

“home... with me?”

Ken whispers, like it's a secret, "yes." 

The pressure on his crest is gone, but Daisuke has pushed himself so far into Ken today he's not sure it will ever leave. He doesn't want it to, wants to hold onto Daisuke and this feeling as long as he can, even though he can't handle much more direct stimulation.

the thought of ken spending the night at his house after all that’s happened today sends an electric shock up his spine that wakes his dizzy brain right up. a grin dawning on his face, daisuke replies, 

“let’s go.” 

he pushes himself up and shakes his head, looking around for the soccer ball. he spots it lying abandoned in the goal and snorts out a giddy laugh. 

“oh, right. i scored!”

Ken follows behind Daisuke, still on his hands and knees when Daisuke exclaims his delight at what happened Before. There was a clear demarcation now, between Before and After. A feeling Ken was intimately familiar with, though not usually positively like this one was. Like he hopes this one will continue to be. 

"I'm sorry." He stares at the ball like it was at fault for their game being cut short. "We didn't get to finish."

daisuke hops to his feet and turns around to look at ken, crest still glowing happily on his chest.

“don’t worry about it. we’ll call it a tie!”

with that, he dashes off to collect both soccer balls, venting some of his pent up energy from all their touching in the process.

Ken’s whole face breaks into a goofy smile as Daisuke races across the field, meeting him at the sidelines where his ball rests. 

“I guess...we’ll just have to have a rematch some time then.” He tries for lighthearted, to match Daisuke’s giddiness. 

It’s good. Sometimes it’s good when Big Things happen. It doesn’t have to be Bad. It won’t be bad with Daisuke by his side.

when he finishes zooming around the field, daisuke meets ken by the sidelines in time to scoop up and deposit his soccer ball in his arms. 

“yeah! anytime.” 

he can see that ken is sort of lost in thought, so to hopefully help him out of whatever hole he’s in, he extends a hand for him to take so he can lead him back home. he cocks his head, smiling encouragingly. 

“ready to go?”

Ken takes his ball under his arm, following his muscle memory - And then Daisuke’s hand juts into his space, holding it out for him to take as they walk home. His eyes widen in shock before settling on a quiet, small smile, fingers grasping over Daisuke’s as their palms touch, the warmth enveloping him. 

“Yeah, let’s go.”

daisuke beams as ken takes his hand, immediately recalling how he’d rejected it after their first jogress and swelling with pride at how far they’ve come. they’ve both grown so much since then, stronger and  _ closer, _ today more than ever before. he feels like all the dreams that began that day with the melding of their hearts have finally come true, and he can’t wait to experience whatever comes next. with ken’s hand wrapped securely in his own, he leads him off the soccer field after a game they’ll never forget.


End file.
